Folding table



Mgy'31, 1949. I H. v. GAUDETTE FOLDING TABLE Filed Feb. 1, 1946 M N AN. 0/ .6 W F L a l rt Q ul u. n 7 M w m 1 u 5 a A 3 4 m" 4 7 8 m a x w M Patented May 31, 1949 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE FOLDING TABLE Henry V. Gaudette, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application February 1, 1946, Serial No. 644,832

1 Claim.

My invention relates to folding tables of the kind that are used for tea tables, or dinner tables, or card tables, or for any of the usual purposes for which tables are used, and it has among its salient objects: to provide an improved folding table which has special anchoring means when it is set up for use, whereby it is more rigid than the usual folding table, and has not the usual lateral movement found in present folding tables; to provide in such a table such construction and arrangement that it can be folded into vertical form to take a minimum of space.

In order to explain my invention in detail, I have shown on the accompanying sheet of drawings one embodiment of my invention which I will now describe.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a folding table embodying my invention, set up ready for use;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the folding movements of the parts thereof in light broken lines;

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the table in folded condition;

Figure 4 is a sectional detailed view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of an anchoring plate and stop.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the table top is designated 5, and can be made of any desired and suitable material. Two outer legs 6, 6, are shown pivotally connected with the top, as at 9, 9, and an inner U-shaped member 8 is shown having its free ends pivotally connected to the table top, as at l, l, the connecting portion of said member being designated H].

An intermediate pair of legs I3, l3, are shown pivotally connected with the outer legs 6, 6, by means of a through bolt 15, with a spacing sleeve I 2 on said bolt, between the inner or intermediate legs l3, l3, frictionally held with spacing washers, as l4, l4, between legs 6 and M, on said bolt, as clearly seen in Fig. 1. Said intermediate legs l3, 13 are pivotally connected at their upper ends with the U-shaped member 8, as at l6, it, whereby said outer legs 6, 6, said intermediate legs [3, l3, and said U-shaped member 8, 8, can be folded together in the same plane, as seen in Fig. 3; or can be opened out in crossed relation, as seen in Fig. 2. The light broken lines in Fig. 2 indicate the movements of the top and leg members from open position to the folded condition shown in Fig. 3.

An important feature of my invention is the anchoring plate or member ll. shown in perspective view in Fig. 5. This is secured to the sleeve l2 and the bolt l5 by means of through rivets II, Fig. 4, with its upper portion provided with a hole I! therein. The connecting member I0 of the U-shaped member 8, is provided with a pin or stud l0 secured thereto and positioned so that when said table is opened up for use, as

- seen in full lines in Fig. 2, said stud or pin I0 enters said hole IT, as seen in Fig. 4, and as indicated in Fig. 1, thus anchoring said parts together so that there is no lateral movement of said table when opened up for use. This is because there is no relative movement of the U- shaped member laterally relative to said plate II, or the bolt l5 and sleeve l2 to which it is secured. Said bolt I5 and sleeve [2 and washers 14 are frictionally held against turning, and when pin or stud I0 enters the hole I1 in said anchor plate II, it cannot turn.

This makes it possible to have a table of considerable weight and strength, and one without the usual lateral movement. It is really very rigid when opened up with the parts in place, and considerable weight can be put on the table top and without lateral movement in either direction.

I do not limit my invention to the details of construction and arrangement shown for explanatory purposes, except as I may be limited by the hereto appended claim.

I claim:

A folding table including a top, a pair of outer tubular legs pivotally connected thereto at their upper ends, a pair of inner tubular legs between said outer legs and pivotally connected to said outer legs intermediate their ends, whereby to be moved to crossed relationship with each other, a U-shaped tubular member having its two ends pivotally connected with said table top and its connecting portion parallel with and adjacent the aXis of the pivotal connection between said outer and inner legs, a through bolt with spacing sleeve on, connecting said outer and inner legs and constituting the axis of their pivotal movements, an anchor plate rigidly secured to said through bolt and said spacing sleeve and having its free end positioned to be engaged fiatwise by the connecting portion of said U-shaped member, when said table is in open operative condition, said plate having a hole therethrough and said connecting portion having a stud projecting therefrom to enter said hole as said table is opened up for use, said table top being rigidly held in a level horizontal position by means of said interconnections.

HENRY V. GAUDETTE.

REFERENCES CITED Th following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 413,324 Ketchum Oct. 22, 1889 2,060,367 Flagstad Nov. 10, 1936 2,106,309 Sweeney Jan. 25, 1938 

